Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaDecember 14, 2017

An epic 238-page lawsuit filed by Joe Redner‘s Florigrown company—replete with references to Encyclopedia Britannica, ancient Roman medical texts and the Nixon White House tapes—alleges that the state is failing its responsibility to carry out the people’s will when it comes to medical marijuana. The complaint was filed Wednesday in Leon County Circuit Civil court […]

Mitch PerryJune 15, 2017

Incoming Senate Minority Leader Jeff Clemens announced Thursday the creation of a new campaign to help get more Democrats elected to the Florida Senate in 2018 and beyond. “Flip Florida Blue” will set out initially to invest resources to win the special election in Miami-Dade’s Senate District 40 seat formerly held by Hialeah Republican Frank Artiles, […]

Mitch PerryMarch 31, 2017

Advocates of Amendment 2, which legalized medical marijuana in Florida, have been expressing disdain for HB 1397, moving through the Legislature this Session, sponsored by Fort Myers Republican Ray Rodrigues. “Folks, this bill is bad,” wrote Ben Pollara, head of United for Care, the organization that campaigned for the constitutional amendment that passed with more than 71 […]

Mitch PerryMarch 20, 2017

Bob Buesing may be looking for a rematch. One of the most bitter races in all of Florida politics last year took place in Hillsborough County’s Senate District 18, where Democrat Buesing faced Republican state Rep. Dana Young and independent Joe Redner. Although Democrats believed Young was vulnerable to a serious opponent she ultimately defeated Buesing 48 to 41 percent. […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 20, 2017

Tampa Republican state Senator Dana Young will announce her legislation to ban fracking next week, her office said on Friday. During her successful campaign to win the Senate District 18 seat last fall, Young promised that she would introduce such a ban, after she was accused of actually supporting the controversial practice of extracting natural gas and oil during the […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 18, 2017

State Sen. Jack Latvala opposed a bill to regulate the use of fracking in the 2016 Session, and in the upcoming Session, he’ll support legislation that would do so again. “I’m where I was last year,” he said when asked about the controversial practice to extract natural gas and oil out of the ground. “I helped beat it last […]

Mitch PerryNovember 21, 2016

At Tuesday’s Organization Session in Tallahassee, all forty state Senators elected earlier this month will take their oath in office. Both senators representing Hillsborough County, Darryl Rouson and Dana Young, are new to the job, though not to the Legislature. Young returns to Tallahassee having fulfilled her goal of advancing into the Senate after six years in the Florida […]

Mitch PerryNovember 8, 2016

In one of the nastiest state legislative races in Florida this fall, Republican Dana Young has defeated Democrat Bob Buesing, 48 percent to 41 percent. Joe Redner finished third with 9.5 percent. Sheldon Upthegrove, a staff sergeant at U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, finished forth with less than one percent of the vote. “Tampa Bay voters have spoken tonight in favor of […]

Mitch PerryNovember 7, 2016

In this space on Friday, we reminisced about October surprises in previous election cycles before referring to the dual bombshells that have rocked this year’s presidential election: First, the release of that 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape in which Donald Trump spoke lewdly about women, followed 10 days ago with the announcement of the discovery of hundreds of thousands […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterNovember 6, 2016

The Republican Party of Florida is taking umbrage with attacks on Majority Leader Dana Young, even calling for federal elections officials to step in. Young faces Democrat Bob Buesing in the Senate District 18 election. The district is seen as one of a few Democrats can pick up across the state, and Democrats and other […]

Tag: Joe Redner
Mike Johnson. Image via AP.

Joe Redner’s Florigrown files mammoth medical marijuana lawsuit

Florida Democrats announce new vehicle to try to get more of them elected to state Senate

Unless legislation is changed, Joe Redner says he’ll sue over Legislature’s medical marijuana

Bob Buesing contemplates 2018 rematch versus Dana Young

Dana Young to unveil anti-fracking legislation next week

Jack Latvala says he’ll support legislation banning fracking again in 2017 Session

Darryl Rouson and Dana Young set to start new careers in Florida Senate

Dana Young beats Bob Buesing in SD 18 race

Mitch Perry Report for 11.7.16 — Closing arguments

Florida GOP calls ad attacking Dana Young a ‘smear piece,’ calls for Florida Dems to pull it